First Maebashi Biennale Scheduled for 2026

Maebashi is set to host its inaugural Maebashi Biennale from September 19 to December 20, 2026, under the theme “Mebuku. Where good things grow.” The 80-day festival will feature exhibitions and events across Arts Maebashi, Maebashi Galleria, Shiraiya Hotel, the Maebashi Literature Museum, and other venues throughout the city center. Organizers plan to continue the festival as a biennial event.

The festival comes as part of Maebashi’s broader effort to revitalize its city center, which had been in decline since the late 1990s. Since adopting the forward-looking urban vision “Mebuku.” in 2016, the city has engaged architects such as Sou Fujimoto to transform spaces with innovative yet harmonious designs. The redevelopment extends from riverside leisure areas to arcade shopping streets, incorporating art-focused facilities like Arts Maebashi, the Shiraiya Hotel, converted from a former inn into an art hotel, and Maebashi Galleria, home to multiple commercial galleries. Vacant buildings along the arcades have also given rise to local businesses.

The festival will feature a range of creative projects, including a generative sound installation by Keiichiro Shibuya and public artworks based on the poetry of Tahi Saihate. Additionally, research-based works will explore the history and landscapes of Maebashi.

Hitoshi Tanaka, the festival’s general producer, has shared a message in anticipation of the first edition.

The Maebashi Biennale did not begin from the vision of a single individual. It grew from years of urban development efforts in Maebashi, and from the people drawn to the city by art and culture, who have quietly planted roots, nurtured the soil, and now, collectively, are pushing this festival to emerge.

Our role is to take these countless sprouts and help them reach farther, touching the hearts of more people. How can we create spaces where artists’ sensibilities intersect with the daily lives of residents? How can we expand the function of museums and transform the city itself into a stage? How can we welcome audiences from Japan and abroad and connect this experience to future creativity? This is, in essence, the work of shaping Maebashi into an artistic city.

The festival bears the name “International” not merely as an outward-facing label, but as an expression of inner openness. We aim to create a space where local experiences and memories can meet global questions. Even in an era of division, we want to believe in the imagination of those who strive to cross boundaries. Maebashi offers the atmosphere and human warmth to support such encounters.

The word Mebuku, meaning “to sprout,” conveys more than simply the emergence of a bud. It evokes the unseen taking form, rising, and expressing the deep relationship between city and people. We hope to embrace this word as a guiding mantra for the future, advancing together as an artistic city into the next era.

We look forward with all our hearts to nurturing this challenge together with everyone.

Maebashi Biennale 2026
General Producer Hitoshi Tanaka